Gun mounting



Sept. 4-, 1951 R 2,566,855

GUN MOUNTING Filed Jan. 1, 1944 2 Sheets-Shee 1 ATQfiROSE BY HG 3 mwfimw ATTQRNEYS.

A. G. ROSE GUN MOUNTING Sept. 4, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 1,1944 QUE m0 A i m 7 mm 3 Q mm m. B on a Pt 5. 2 o o O O P I f R 2 0 O0 Rm @E n 5 3 3 3 Q R &

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Patented Sept. 4, 1951 GUN MOUNTING Alfred Ger-man Rose, Gainsborough,England, assignor, by direct and mesne assignments, of one-half to RoseBrothers (Gainsborough) Limited, Gainsborough, England, a Britishcompany, and one-half to Kenneth Howard Nicholls, Freshford, EnglandApplication January 1, 1944, Serial No. 516,651 Y In Great BritainJanuary 4, 1943 3 Claims.

This invention relates to gun mountings of For purposes of absorbingrecoil forces or for other reasons the gun or guns may be attached to asupporting frame and in such a case the supporting frame itself isarranged for pivotal movement on the support in such a manner as toallow for the elevational and/or training movements of the gun or guns.In such a construction the expression gun or gun assembly is intended toinclude the supporting frame.

According to the invention, there is provided a gun mounting of theabove type, wherein pivotal movement of the gun or gun assembly iseffected by power-actuated means under the influence of a sighting armfreely mounted for pivotal movement about an axis coincident with orparallel to the pivotal axis of the gun or gun assembly and adapted uponpivotal movement to operate means arranged for movement in synchronismwith the gun or gun assembly and controlling the action of saidpower-actuated means and by such operation cause the gun or gun assemblyto move in the same direction as said sighting arm through an angleequal to the angle of movement of said sighting arm.

In the case where the sighting arm is pivoted about an axis parallel tothat of the pivotal axis of the gun or gun assembly, such axis will beso disposed in relation to the pivotal axis of the gun or gun assemblythat the sighting arm and the gun or guns will move substantiallyparallel to each other.

The power-actuated means may be in the form of a hydraulic motorarranged in driving connection with the gun or gun assembly andconnected through a controlling valve to a suitable source of hydraulicpower, the controlling valve being so constructed that its operation bymovement of the sighting arm in either direction causes the hydraulicmotor to rotate in one direction or the other according tothe directionof movement of the sighting arm, thus bringing about the requiredpivotal movement of the gun or gun assembly. Alternatively, thepower-actuated means may be in the form of a double-acting hydraulic ramarranged with its axis normal to the pivotal axis of the gun or gunassembly and suitably connected to the gun or gun assembly, its actionbeing controlled by a valve in a manner similar to that described above.

Power-actuated means may be provided for effecting pivotal movement ofthe gun or gun assembly about one axis only, e. g., the training axis,or such means may be provided for effecting both elevational andtraining movements of the gun or gun assembly. In the latter case, bothmovements arevpreferably controlled by a single sighting arm whichmay bearranged for pivotal movement about axes coincident with the axes ofelevation and training of the gun or gun assembly.

Two examples of gun mountings embodying the invention will now bedescribed in greater detail with reference tothe accompanyingdiagrammatic drawings, in which- Figures 1 and 2 and 3 are an elevationplan and end view respectively of a single. gun mounting according tothe invention and,

Figures 4, 5 and 6 are an elevation, plan and end view, respectively, ofa twin-gun mounting according to the invention.

Referring to Figures 1 ,to,3, a gun H is pivotally supported formovement about an axis of ,elevationin a main support l2. Attached tothe gun llWith. its axis coincident with the axis of elevation istheouter portion 13 of an oil motor. The oil motor is of a known typecomprising outer and inner portions arranged for relative rotation abouta common axis and each formed with radial vanes between which oil isadmitted under pressure so. as to cause a relative rotation between the,outer and inner portions. In this case, the inner portion I4 is securedto the support l2 at It while the outer portion I3 is secured to the gunl l, as mentionedcabove, for rotation with the gunabout its axis ofelevation. The gun llis .pivotally mounted at one side in a bearing lland at. the other side in a bearing formed in the inner portion it ofthe oil motor.

The support [2 is pivotally mounted on a base l8 about a trainingaxisthe lower portion [9 of the support l2 constituting the outer portion ofa second oilmotor, theinner portion 2|] of which is secured to the baseIS with its axis coincident with the training axis. For the sake ofclarity, the oilmotors J9, 20, and I3, l4,.will be referred tohereinafter, as the training and elevation motors respectively.

Freely mounted. on the lower portion of the support l2 at 2| about anaxis coincident with the training axis, is a' forked member 22 extendingthrough slots 23 formed in the support [2 and terminating in bearings 24having a common axis lying coincident with the axis of elevation. Freelymounted in the bearings 24 is a U-shaped sighting arm 25' carryinghandgrips 25 one of which incorporates a trigger for remotely operating thefiring mechanism oi. the gun H in a known manner.

Attached to the breech end of the gun is a pair of controlling valves 21and 28 which are connected by suitable oil pipes 29 to the elevation andtraining oil motors respectively. The stems of the valves 21 and 28 areconnected by means of ball joints 32 to rods 33 and 34 respectivelywhich, in turn, are connected by similar ball joints 36 to an arm 31projecting from the sighting arm 25.

Oil under pressure is supplied to the elevation and training motorsthrough the valves 21 and 28 from an oil pump 38 mounted on a platform39 extending from the lower portion I9 01 the support l2, the valves 21and 28 being connected to the oil pump 38 by suitable oil pipes M. Theoil pump is fed by a sump 43 and is driven by an electric motor 44attached to the platform 39. .In operation, the gun II is aimed andfired by "the operator by means of the sighting arm 25 to which a gunsight 46 is attached. It will be seen that as the sighting arm 25 israised or lowered, the valve 21 is operated by the rod 33 .to admit oilto the elevation motor and thus ,cause the outer portion l3 to rotate inone direction or the other according to the direction of movement of thesighting arm 25 and thus .elevate or depress the gun H, the valve 21being .'so connected to the elevation motor that clockwise rotation ofthe sighting arm 25 produces clockwise rotation of the motor and viceversa. ,The rotation of the outer portion I 3 of the elevation motor issubstantially instantaneous upon operation of the valve 21 so that thesighting arm 25 and the gun I I are caused to move substantiallysimultaneously, and since the pivotal axis of the sighting arm 25 iscoincident with the axis of elevation of the gun, it will be seen thatthe gun H is caused to move substantially as one with the sighting arm25.

Similar considerations apply to the movement of the si hting arm 25about the axis of the bear ng 2|, i. e. the training axis. Thus, asdescribed above. the sighting arm 25 is mounted in the bearing 24 of theforked member 22, so that, up n movement of the sighting arm 25 inazimuth the forked member 22 is caused to pivot about it axis thuscausing the rod 34 to operate a the valve 28 so as to admit oil to thetraining motor and thus cause the support l2 as a whole to rotate aboutthe training axis, the valve 28, like the valve 21, being so connectedto its motor that the direction of rotation of the su port l2 is thesame as that of the sighting arm 25. As in the case of the elevationmotor, operation of the training motor is substantially instantaneousupon operation of the valve 28. so that the support l2 and the forkedmember 22 are caused to move, upon movement of the sightin arm inazimuth, substantially as one, the slots 23 allowing for the very slightinitial movement of the sighting arm and forked member 22. Figures 4, 5and 6 show a gun mounting, generally similar to that described abovewith refer- .ence to Figures 1 to 5, but in which a pair of guns 6| areattached respectively at points 82 to a pair of recoil frames 63 inknown manner. The recoil frames 63 are secured to brackets 64 extendingfrom a common elevation member 66 rotatably mounted in a main support61. The main support 61 is provided with an acruate rack 68 arranged forengagement with a gear 69 formed on the peripheral surface of anelevation 011 motor H supported in bearings 12 extending from theelevation member 66. The inner portion of the elevation motor is securedin the bearings 12 while the outer portion is free to rotate, so that,upon operation, the gear 69 is driven round the arcuate rack 68 and thuscauses the elevation member 66 to rotate, and since the recoil frames63, to which the guns 6| are attached, are carried by the elevationmember 66 as explained above, the elevation member 66 transmitselevational movement to the guns 6| simultaneously upon operation of theelevation motor H. The elevation oil motor H is controlled by anelevation valve 13 arranged for movement with the elevation member 66,and oil under pressure is supplied to the' motor through the valve froma source of supply by suitable connections 14. A gun sight 16 isconveniently mounted on the casing of the valve 13. The valve 13 isoperated through an operating rod 11 suitably connected at one end to asighting arm 18, pivotally mounted in a forked member 19 about an axiscoincident with the axis of elevation, and at the other to avalve-operating arm 8!.

As in the case of the apparatus described above in connection withFigures 1 to 3, the lower portion 82 of the main support 67 constitutesthe outer portion of a training oil motor the inner portion of which issecured to a base 83. The training oil motor is controlled in this caseby a training valve 84 attached to the outer casing 82 of the motor. Thetraining valve 84 is operated by the forked member 19 which is freelypivoted about an axis coincident with the common training axis 86 of thetwo guns 6|, a lug 81 depending from the forked member 19 beingconnected to a valve-operating arm 88 by a pivoted connecting link 89.As in the case of the elevation motor H, oil under pressure is suppliedto the training motor through the valve 84 from a source of supplythrough suitable connections EM.

The mountings described with reference to Figures 1 to 3 and 4 to 6,respectively, may be applied o gun mountings for ground defence,aircraft, armoured vehicles and the like. For instance, the gun mountingmay be attached by means of their bases to carriages arranged to travelalong tracks in the manner described in British patent specification No.553,267 or in United States Patent No. 2,411,114.

The invention is particularly useful in its application to gun mountingsfor use in aircraft since the gunner, in sighting the gun or guns bymovement of the hand lever, will have much the same sensitive feeling asif he were handling the guns directly, while the energy required to beexpended by the gunner is merely that, required to move the hand leverso as to bring the poweractuated means into operation. This isparticularly important when dealing with heavy machine guns, e. g., gunshaving a calibre of .5 of an inch or more, since the gunner is able totrain the guns with little exertion and without having his attentiondistracted from the target notwithstanding that there may be aconsiderable air resistance to the movement of the guns.

I claim:

1. A gun mounting comprising a common support pivotally mounted on abase member for movement about a training axis, a gun assembly pivotallymounted on said support for movement about an axis of elevation, poweractuated training means for rotating said support about the trainingaxis, a training control means arranged for movement with the gunassembly about the training axis and controlling the action of saidtraining means, power-actuated elevation means for rotating said gunassembly about the axis of elevation, an elevation control meansarranged for movement with the gun assembly about the axis of elevationand controlling the action of said elevation means, a supporting memberrotatably mounted for movement relatively to the gun assembly about anaxis coincident with said training axis, a sighting arm pivotallymounted on said supporting member for movement relatively to the gunassembly about said axis of elevation, said sighting arm having meanswhich upon pivotal movement of said sighting arm about said axis ofelevation, operates said elevation control means, and means which byrotating said supporting member about said training axis, operates saidtraining control means, such movements or the sighting arm causing thegun s b y to commence its elevational and training movementssubstantially simultaneously with those of said sighting arm and tocontinue such movements substantially in synchronism with those of saidsighting arm.

2. A gun mounting according to claim 1, wherein the power-actuatedtraining and elevation means each comprises a hydraulic motor in drivingconnection with the gun assembly and wherein the said training andelevation control means each comprises a valve so arranged in thehydraulic system that its operation by movement of said sighting arm ineither direction causes the motor to rotate in one direction or theother according to the direction of movement of said sighting arm.

3. A gun mounting comprising a common support pivotally mounted on abase member for movement about a training axis, a gun cradle pivotallymounted on said support for movement about an axis of elevation, a pairof guns mounted on said cradle for simultaneous movement therewith, ahydraulic training motor for rotating said support about the trainingaxis, a training valve mechanism mounted on said support for movementtherewith about the training axis and controlling the action of saidtraining motor, a hydraulic elevation motor for rotating said cradleabout the axis of elevation, an elevation valve mechanism mounted onsaid cradle for movement therewith about the axis of elevation andcontrolling the action of said elevation motor, a supporting memberrotatably mounted for movement relatively to said gun cradle about anaxis coincident with said training axis, and a sighting arm pivotallymounted on said supporting member for movement relatively to said guncradle about an axis coincident with said axis of elevation, saidsighting arm having means which, upon pivotal movement of said sightingarm about said axis of elevation, operates said elevation valvemechanism, and means which by rotating said supporting member about saidtraining axis, operates said training valve mechanism, such movements ofthe sighting arm causing the gun assembly to commence its elevationaland training movements substantially simultaneously with those of saidsighting arm and to continue such movements substantially in synchronismwith those of said sighting arm.

ALFRED GERMAN ROSE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 810,661 Meigs Jan. 23, 19061,387,678 Anderson Aug. 16, 1921 2,206,875 Chafee et al. July 9, 19402,350,662 Adams et a1 June 6, 1944 2,388,010 Pohl Oct. 30, 19452,400,385 Blaylock et al May 14, 1946 2,405,642 Corte Aug. 13, 19462,409,041 Hart et al. Oct. 8, 1946 2,412,109 Trotter Dec. 3, 1946FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 535,737 France Jan. 31, 1922 436,071Great Britain June 4, 1935 789,778 France Aug. 26, 1935 515,991 GreatBritain Dec. 10, 1935 515,993 Great Britain June 29, 1937 489,208 GreatBritain July 21, 1938

